What Is It Like to Be Addicted to Meth?

“The first high was amazing, and I was instantly hooked. From that point on, I was always chasing it—the first high.

“It got to the point where I would make sure I was up all night and sleep all day, so I wasn’t around people because I was too ashamed of myself to be around other people. I turned into a night owl, spent many years alone, and separated from my family because I could not stand being around people.

“It got to the point where I kicked myself out of the house, so I could keep getting high since that was the most important thing to me. The friends you have when you’re living the meth lifestyle spend all day figuring out how they can get over on each other and “get ahead.”

“That was difficult for me because I grew up in a good family where people looked out for each other. I learned the hard way. I would help people out thinking they would do the same for me only to find out that would not be the case. I could never bring myself to be that way though.

“I had a lot of realizations of how I couldn’t trust anyone, and it was all just about getting high. After a while it wasn’t fun anymore, it was just something I had to have. I had this irrational belief that the only time I would be happy was when I was high. Then when I got high, I would be unhappy. I couldn’t function with it, and I couldn’t function without it.

“I wandered the streets homeless in southern California being ridiculed and looked down upon as scum, which to be fair was accurate at the time. There was no way around it; I was a meth addict. It took me years of this to realize this was something I never wanted to do again.

“When I would come down, reality would set in, and make me feel useless and depressed. Like a loser. When in reality, that was the only time I was sober enough to realize how bad I had messed up my life.”

—Mike Narconon Graduate

After years of struggling and going in and out of different treatment facilities, Mike got the help he needed from the Narconon program. He has since rebuilt his life and has a rewarding career helping others.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, do something about it. It’s a ticking clock when you are an addict and any day could be the last. Get those you love, the help they need before it’s too late.